Greek word · G4185

πολυτελής

polytelēs

valuable

Very costly, expensive, of great value. It is a word of the marketplace and of luxury.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 24, 2026

What it means

πολυτελής, -ές

(πολύς, τέλος) [in LXX for יָקָר, etc. ;]

very costly, very precious, of great value: Mark 14:3, 1 Timothy 2:9; metaphorically, 1 Peter 3:4.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: Very costly, expensive, of great value. It is a word of the marketplace and of luxury.
Against the English: KJV and YLT 'of great price' keep the price-tag image. 'Precious' (BSB, WEB) is correct but softer. Peter is speaking in the language of the luxury goods he has just set aside.
Used elsewhere in the period: It is used of 'costly clothing' in the parallel instruction to women (ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ, 1 Timothy 2:9) and of the 'very costly' nard (Mark 14:3). In Proverbs 31:10 LXX the capable wife is 'more valuable than costly stones (λίθων πολυτελῶν)'.

Range of meaning: Very costly, expensive, of great value, sumptuous.
Against the English: Translations agree ("costly," "expensive"). It does not drift, but it is the key that unlocks the verse and is easily overlooked.
Used elsewhere in the period: Used in Mark 14:3 of the very costly perfume. In 1 Peter 3:4 it is turned around: a gentle and quiet spirit is what is "very precious" (polyteles) in God's sight. Pliny the Elder (Natural History 9.106–117) ranks pearls as the most valuable of all possessions and mentions Lollia Paulina wearing pearls and emeralds worth 40 million sesterces.

Mark · 1

Mark 14:3 πολυτελοῦς. of great price.

While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.

Here: 'Of great expense'. It prepares for v.5, where onlookers value the oil at more than 300 denarii, roughly a year's wages for a day labourer.

1 Timothy · 1

1 Timothy 2:9 πολυτελεῖ, costly,

Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,

Here: "Very expensive." It is a word about price. The objection is to luxury on display, not to how much of the body is covered.

1 Peter · 1

1 Peter 3:4 πολυτελές. of great worth.

but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

Here: Literally 'of great cost'. It is the word used for expensive clothing and perfume, so it is a deliberate twist: the truly luxurious item is invisible.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.